Aaron Bialick
Aaron was the editor of Streetsblog San Francisco from January 2012 until October 2015. He joined Streetsblog in 2010 after studying rhetoric and political communication at SF State University and spending a semester in Denmark.
Recent Posts
SFMTA Cuts Block of Polk Bike Lane Fought By Visionless Mayor’s Optometrist
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The SFMTA has nixed a block of protected bike lane planned on Polk Street, where merchants including Mayor Ed Lee’s optometrist have vocally opposed it to preserve car parking. The raised, protected bike lane between California and Pine Streets was removed from Polk’s plans six months after they were presented at the final public open house. […]
Halted By Noise Complaints, N-Judah Tunnel Upgrades Expected to Resume
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The SFMTA is expected to resume work to upgrade the Sunset Tunnel for the N-Judah after construction was halted by a permit appeal from neighbors who complained about noise. Crews have skipped four weekends of work, adding unknown costs and at least a month of delay to the project. The appellants complained that the noise, particularly from backup […]
Should SF Streets Go Car-Free to Make Room for Nightlife?
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Polk, Valencia, Castro, Broadway — when bar patrons crowd these streets at night, should they go car-free? While the idea may be novel to San Francisco, many other cities have done it. Up the coast in Vancouver, British Columbia, downtown Granville Street is often closed to cars on bustling weekend nights for people to roam […]
Mom and Toddler on Bike Injured By SUV Driver at Geary and 7th
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An SUV driver reportedly ran a red light and crashed into a mother and her toddler on a bike at Geary Boulevard and 7th Avenue in the Inner Richmond at about 4 p.m. on Friday. The driver was reportedy headed westbound on Geary as the mother cycled southbound on 7th. “People tried to honk at […]
Eyes on the Street: Construction Begins on Fell and Oak Bike Lane Protection
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Crews are at work building the planted concrete islands that will separate the Fell and Oak bike lanes from motor traffic. As we reported earlier this month, the long-delayed project is now supposed to wrap by April. The new construction is a sign that city agencies may make good on that. This week crews carved […]
Phil Matier Needs to Do His Homework on Transit and Bike Policy
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Phil Matier, a pundit for KCBS and the SF Chronicle, has been betraying a rather stunning lack of policy knowledge recently, painting transit in the Bay Area as a boondoggle and wagging his finger at “bicycle lobbyists” for opposing a statewide mandatory helmet law. In a KCBS radio segment this week, Matier did seem to […]
Market Street Has More Bike Traffic Than You Thought
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The Market Street bicycle counter has been undercounting two-wheeled traffic — and not because of a computer glitch. Starting last month, the counter reported a huge jump in bike commuters. How come? All indications point to a recent tweak to the bike lane that guides more riders over the counter’s underground sensor. On several days […]
Alameda’s Second Parking-Protected Bikeway Takes Shape on Shoreline Drive
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The East Bay’s island city of Alameda has laid down its second parking-protected bikeway along Shoreline Drive. The paint has barely dried on the 1.8-mile, two-way bikeway, but Alamedans are already using it. The city is adding finishing touches before a ribbon cutting set for March 7. Bike East Bay Education Coordinator Robert Prinz, a former […]
City College Property Could Make Room for Buffered Bike Lane on Ocean Ave
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A proposed solution has surfaced for one of the most frightening gaps in the Ocean Avenue bike lane at Balboa Park Station, where the existing bike lane disappears and throws uphill bike commuters in front of a high-speed freeway off-ramp. City College of SF has proposed opening up the edge of its main campus property, […]
Muni Expects to End Operator Shortage for the First Time This Century
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Muni officials expect to have a full staff of bus and train operators this spring, finally ending a shortage that has led to canceled runs and excessive overtime spending since at least the 1990s. Muni Operations Director John Haley said Muni has ramped up its operator training to fill the backlog by April or May, […]
One Year Into Vision Zero, Advocates Call for Bolder Action From City Hall
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A year after City Hall officials first pledged to embrace Vision Zero, safe streets advocates have released a report [PDF] reviewing the state of efforts to end traffic fatalities by 2024. City officials simultaneously released a “Vision Zero Strategy” [PDF] for the next two years. Both documents were released in conjunction with a new program requiring video […]
See a High-Speed Train Model at Siemens’ “Moving California” Event
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Local Sacramento manufacturer Siemens will exhibit a full-size version of its high-speed train on the west steps of the California State Capitol. You can tour the 50-foot long, life-sized mock-up to see the innovations that will reshape the way cities connect and help drive our economy. Visitors will learn about innovations in intelligent traffic technologies, […]